There are many fighters that will probably wind up in the UFC, but one who is all but guaranteed a spot is Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion Daniel Cormier. UFC President Dana White has said that he has so much respect for him that he could either stay at heavyweight and vie for a title in that division, or drop to light heavyweight and be next in line to fight champ Jon Jones.
The former NCAA Division I wrestler is in a tough situation in his upcoming fight at Saturday’s final Strikeforce event, as he is taking on a rather unknown fighter in Dion Staring.
Staring is a veteran of the sport, dating back to 1999, although this will be his first fight in the United States. Cormier is coming into this fight as an astronomical 20-1 favorite. This could come back to bite him in the butt.
The problem with taking on a fighter like Staring is that there is little to no tape or footage on the Dutch fighter, which makes game-planning tough.
Cormier hasn’t tasted defeat yet in his rather young MMA career, however if for some reason it happens in this fight it could change his future drastically. He told MMASucka Radio that his ideal plan would be to take on Frank Mir in April and then have roughly six months to make the necessary changes to make the 205lbs weight limit. The fight with Jones is only guaranteed if he continues to win.
The reason for the drop to light heavyweight is due to the fact that his team-mate and friend Cain Velasquez is the heavyweight champion. However, that might not be the case six months from now, as there are numerous contenders awaiting a stab at the champ. Including the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem who will be taking on Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in February. Another name “in the mix” is Fabricio Werdum, who will be taking on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Back to Staring, if Cormier gets the win over him on Saturday night he beats a no name opponent and gets what he wants in the UFC… supposedly. However, if he loses he is back to square one. He will have lost his first fight in his MMA career and to someone that nobody has heard of.
Whatever the case, Saturday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Daniel Cormier’s future will all depend on the outcome of his co-main event battle against Dion Staring.
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